Manchester City’s reported guilty verdict on 114 of the 115 financial charges brought against the club has sent shockwaves through football, and some of the biggest names around the game have wasted little time reacting.
The Premier League referred Manchester City to an independent commission in 2023 following a lengthy investigation into alleged breaches covering a nine-year period. The charges included allegations of failing to provide accurate financial information, inaccurate reporting of player and manager payments, breaches of UEFA financial regulations and failing to cooperate with the Premier League’s investigation.
We reported on Friday that City had been found guilty of all but one of the 115 charges. However, sanctions have not yet been decided, and City are expected to appeal. The club has also maintained that the process remains ongoing and has denied wrongdoing.
While the legal and sporting consequences will be decided separately, the reaction from around the football world has already been fascinating.
Haaland’s cryptic message
One of the most intriguing reactions came from City’s own dressing room.
Erling Haaland posted a message on Snapchat saying “ready for a new challenge”, shortly after the news broke.
Haaland on snapchat. 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/GM4V4xVwYy
— Nino1ARSENAL (@makininazo) September 26, 2026
Naturally, the timing immediately caught people’s attention. Was the Manchester City striker referring to the 114-charge verdict? Was he talking about something completely unrelated? We simply don’t know.
The Norwegian did not explain the meaning behind the post, leaving supporters to interpret it for themselves.
De Gea asks the obvious question
Former Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea, who spent more than a decade competing directly against City, took a different approach.
The Fiorentina goalkeeper posted on X:
“So…… Let’s talk. How many Premier League titles have I won then? 🤔”
So……
Let’s talk.
How many Premier League titles have I won then? 🤔
— David de Gea (@D_DeGea) September 25, 2026
De Gea won one Premier League title during his Manchester United career, in 2012/13. The possibility of retrospective consequences surrounding City’s achievements immediately sparked debate about whether rival clubs and players who finished behind them could benefit.
Rio Ferdinand joins the celebrations
De Gea was not the only former Manchester United player to see the funny side.
Rio Ferdinand also reacted on social media, posting a picture of himself with his Premier League medals and suggesting that another medal could be added to his collection.
— Rio Ferdinand (@rioferdy5) September 25, 2026
He also referenced former United manager Jose Mourinho, who led the club to a second-place Premier League finish in 2017/18. It was a clear nod to the possibility that the historical record could become part of the debate if sanctions eventually affect City’s titles.
Seriously tho….
Ryan Giggs should have 14 Premier League titles 😭😭😭😭😂😂😂😂😂
Come on @premierleague
— Rio Ferdinand (@rioferdy5) September 25, 2026
Tony Pulis brings back the 2011 FA Cup final
While the likes of De Gea and Ferdinand focused on Premier League titles, former Stoke City manager Tony Pulis brought up a different piece of history.
Pulis led Stoke to the 2011 FA Cup final, where they lost 1-0 to Manchester City after Yaya Touré scored the only goal at Wembley.
Following the reported verdict, Pulis admitted that he now feels differently about that defeat. “When do we get our FA Cup?” he wrote in his BBC Sport column, explaining that this was the question Stoke supporters had been asking him since the news broke.
Tony Pulis says he feels “cheated” after the news around Manchester City’s 115 financial breaches, speaking in his BBC Sport column about his former side Stoke City, who he managed during a 1-0 defeat against City in the 2011 FA Cup final. pic.twitter.com/zMqW7Ka3Ya
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) September 27, 2026
Pulis acknowledged that he does not seriously expect City to return the trophy, but said the situation had left a “very sour taste” and that he still felt cheated.
And then there was Mamdani
Perhaps the funniest reaction came from a man who isn’t even involved in football.
New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani needed just one number. “114.”
114
— Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) September 25, 2026
Mamdani is a well-known Arsenal supporter, and the Gunners have spent recent years competing directly with Manchester City for major honours. Mamdani has previously spoken openly about his love for Arsenal, saying he has supported the club since he was nine and even describing the Gunners as a constant during some of the most chaotic periods of his life.
So while the mayor of New York has plenty of things on his political agenda, Manchester City’s extraordinary Friday evidently managed to grab his attention.
For now, the jokes and reactions will continue, but the more serious questions are still waiting to be answered. City are expected to appeal, sanctions have not been determined, and the final consequences of the reported verdict remain unknown.
